6 ways to spot cheap leather — even at high-end stores

The qualities of good leather are well known. It’s tough, it looks beautiful, and it ages with grace. Poor leather, on the other hand, can pull the wool over your eyes — especially when it’s beautifully displayed in an upscale store.

Here are a few tricks to help gauge the quality of the next leather item that catches your fancy.

Real leather will always smell like leather. Fake leather smells like plastic and chemically treated leather usually smells like chemicals. That real leather smell is always preferable. Plus, it’s one of the key ways to tell leather qualities apart when they look roughly similar.